Winter storm brings heavy snow to the region

A winter storm is expected to affect most of the Northeast over the next few days.

National Weather Service

Spring is just over a week away, but winter storm warnings are in effect for most of central and northern New York from early Wednesday morning until early Thursday, as a large winter storm is expected to sweep through the area Wednesday afternoon into Thursday.

2:30 p.m. Wednesday Update

The heaviest of the snow associated with the storm is starting to move its way into central New York this afternoon. The snow will be at its most intense later this afternoon and this evening and is expected to lighten up late tonight. Most of the snow should be out of the region by midnight.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for those areas under a blizzard warning, including Oswego, Northern Cayuga and Wayne counties. More travel advisories and snow emergencies are below:

- The Cayuga County Sheriff's office has issued a no unnecessary travel advisory until 5:00 a.m. Thursday. There are no driving restrictions in place, but drivers are asked to stay home if they can.

- Madison County is under a restricted travel advisory from 3:00 p.m. Wednesday until 6:00 a.m. Thursday. This means that only essential personnel should be on the roads and people should not go out if they don;t have to.

- No unnecessary travel advisories are in effect for Oneida, and Cortland counties. The city of Utica has declared a snow emergency, which will go into effect at 10:00 p.m. tonight until further notice. According to Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri, all vehicles should be removed form the streets during the snow emergency so crews can remove snow safely. Cars could be ticketed or towed if not moved from the street.

6:00 a.m. Wednesday Update

A mix of snow, sleet and rain has entered the region. Many schools around the area have already decided to close today. For our updated list of closings, click here. The forecast for the storm has not changed much since last evening. The National Weather Service has expanded the winter storm warning area to include all of Cortland, Chenango and Tompkins counties. Northern Cayuga and Wayne counties are now under Blizzard Warnings until tomorrow morning. Click here to see the latest watches and warnings, as well as read the latest public briefing on the storm from the National Weather Service.

Possible snowfall accumulations by Thursday morning

Credit National Weather Service, Binghamton

The amount of snow expected to fall around the region hasn't changed much since last night. On average, we can expect 4-8 inches of snow to fall around the region by this evening, with another 4-8 inches possible overnight. By the time the storm moves out of our region Thursday morning, we can expect 8-16 inches of snow for much of us. Some areas could receive less snow, some could receive more. The latest snowfall accumulation forecast can be seen in the map to the left.

We will continue to update this post as new information becomes available. Stay with WRVO Public Media for the latest.

4:30 p.m. Tuesday Update

Timeline for the storm's arrival early Wednesday

Credit National Weather Service, Buffalo

The National Weather Service has changed their forecast for the storm slightly. As you can see from the image to the left, light snow is still expected to arrive early Wednesday morning. Parts of Onondaga, Madison, Cortland and Chenango counties could see a wintry mix or even rain for a time in the morning, before changing over to snow by the afternoon. All of central and northern New York should be seeing moderate to heavy snow by mid-afternoon Wednesday.

Updated snow fall predictions for central New York from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning

Credit National Weather Service, Binghamton

A big question that still remains is just how much snow the area will receive from this storm. The National Weather Service updated their map for central New York and they have increased their predicted snow totals. As of Tuesday afternoon, most of central and northern New York is forecast to receive anywhere from 10-18 inches of snow by the time the storm leaves our area early Thursday morning. You can see the latest snowfall map from the National Weather Service to the right.

To read the latest public briefing on the storm from the National Weather Service, click here.

Stay with WRVO for the latest updates on this storm, as well as any potential school closings or delays as the storm moves through the region.

Our original post from earlier on Tuesday

Spring is just over a week away, but winter storm warnings are in effect for most of central and northern New York from early Wednesday morning until early Thursday, as a large winter storm is expected to sweep through the area Wednesday afternoon into Thursday.

Timing

Snow is expected to arrive Wednesday morning. It will be light for the first half of the day and temperatures should be warm enough that roads will stay mostly wet. Much of central New York, including the Syracuse area, could see some rain or sleet mixing with snow Wednesday morning and into the afternoon. The snow will pick up in intensity during the afternoon and evening Wednesday and will continue overnight into Thursday morning. Most of the snow is expected to move out of our region by 8:00 a.m. Thursday.

The forecast for this storm has changed quite a bit over the last few days. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures around the region are expected to stay close to freezing, so there could be a wide range of accumulations. The latest estimates from the NWS show a general snowfall of 6-12 inches for central New York with some spots seeing as much as 14 inches. Areas north of Syracuse could see even more snow if temperatures stay colder. Again, areas that see more in the way of rain or sleet could see lower snow accumulations.

After the storm

The bulk of the snow will be out of our region by noon on Thursday. But it will feel more like January than March, with temperatures struggling to reach 20 degrees and winds blowing 20-30 miles per hour with gusts near 40 mph. Friday will be more seasonable with partly sunny skies and highs temperatures 35-40.